Category Archives: Chocolate

Can we do one more holiday cookie? Let’s do another holiday cookie! I’m sure there are plenty of you out there with more holiday parties to attend this weekend and I want to make sure you have fresh cookies for your tray. If you can snag a bag of these kisses, they may be 50% off, double bonus – easy Christmas Cookies with on-sale ingredients!

These cookies were made for the annual cookie exchange and caroling event with my church group. The weird thing about this event is that in the past I would be embarrassed about singing out in the open and openly celebrating the season, yet something has changed. Without irony and without embarrassment I can celebrate and rejoice in my faith! And it was fun and filled me with the holiday spirit (and Spirit). A great night!

An easy cookie with a brownie-ish base and a kiss on top, nothing can go wrong. The cookies are a little bit crispy and a little bit chewy. A minty chocolate kiss on top is the perfect compliment. Either whip up a batch this weekend or save them for next year, no matter what, this a wonderful cookie!

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So many cookie swaps, so little time! Today it’s the FB Cookie Swap from the lovely Julie of The Little Kitchen and Lindsey of Love and Olive Oil. After last year’s fun, I could resist doing it again! Instead of peppermint + chocolate, I went with another one of my favorite pairings chocolate + peanut butter.

I sent out some great cookies, no bragging intended. But they were really, really tasty! I had to make a double batch so I would have plenty to mail out plus enough to save for photographing when I was able to get some weekend sunlight. This time of year is brutally limited for natural light. I ate at least one of these cookies everyday for breakfast without fail, I couldn’t resist. These cookies have everything a traditional buckeye has plus a brownie base. To be fair, I know they sort of look like turds, but the inside is beautiful! I’m just going to call it like I see it…A crispy, fudgy bottom with a sweet, creamy peanut butter filling is hard to resist; add chocolate on top and I’m swooning! I’m glad I had so many cookies leftover for eating and sharing with local friends! I hope Ruthy of Omeletta, Susan of That Susan Williams, and Stephanie of Steph’s Bite by Bite enjoyed them as much as I did!

When you’re receiving a dozen cookies from three different bloggers PLUS eating leftover cookies in your own kitchen, it is best to share the bounty with coworkers. Surprisingly, not everyone was okay with eating cookies from strangers. The weird thing is, even though I don’t know anyone in the swap IRL, it does not seem strange and the bloggers seem familiar. Everyone is in their kitchen doing their thing and blogging about it just like me. I love that we are able to share are goodies with others. It’s the best we have until smells and tastes can be transmitted through the interwebs!I was super fortunate to receive an amazing selection of cookies! Mieke of Mieke Z Mackay sent lovely oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips and nuts; salty sweet deliciousness! Amy of Club Narwhal sent delightfully dunk-able biscotti; chocolate and vanilla with cranberries and pistachios! Last, but not least, Tux of Brooklyn Homemaker sent some divine gingerbread linzer cookies with a white chocolate-orange ganache filling; I can’t wait until he posts the recipe so I can make another batch! A successful cookie swap for 2014, I can’t wait for 2015. As Lynn said, “I must be doing something right!”

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The last week has reeked havoc on my kitchen. Every night has a sink full of dishes and flour on the floor. But it’s all worth it because I can now bring you seven straight days of holiday cookies and treats. Holiday baking is my favorite time of year!

It’s always a struggle between old favorites and new recipes. My only limitations are the hours in the evening and Tupperware. Here is one new recipe inspired by the SRC Cookie Carnival.

A Cookie Carnival? How could I resist? The Secret Recipe Club did a holiday cookie post and I could not resist. I was assigned Karen from Karen’s Kitchen Stories. Her blog is lovely and features recipes she makes for her family. We have similar styles in that we both love to share recipes, slightly adapted, from cookbooks, blogs, and magazines. Blogging is fun hobby that allows us to share treats with others.

These cookies are gorgeous, easy, and super tasty! Their light green color is perfect for a Christmas cookie tray and I love the saltiness from the pistachios on the outside. The cookies have everything you want – crispy, crunchy, salty, sweet, and chocolate! The flavor is a subtle pistachio taste that is delightful!

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Cookies, cookies, cookies! They have been churning out my kitchen at a rapid pace. I finally made time to decide on recipes for my Christmas cookie plate and have started baking. It feels good! However, the flour all over the floor and never-ending sink-full of dishes does not feel so good. I’m really missing the dishwasher right about now.

Next week will be cookie week; six straight days of cookies that could adorn your holiday dessert table. After a fall of not blogging as much as I would like, I’m trying to make up for it in December. Clearly I have extra time without reading and writing about the conservation issues facing the world’s biomes.

These cookies are the result of trying to use up my hoarded stock of peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. Whenever they are on sale, I tend to buy a few bags, but the drawer I keep them in is now over filling. In fact, due to a recent $2.99 sale on Ghiradelli chocolate chips, my stash is now kept in a grocery bag #BakerProblems.

I’m beginning to adore shortbread cookies. They are crisp and almost melt in your mouth with a touch of sweetness. The initial plainness lends itself well to adding any and every flavor. Look out for some more shortbread cookies coming your way, they are an easy and delightful way to add variety to the Christmas cookie line up!

Preheat to oven to 350 ˚F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Add the butter and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds from inside, add to the butter. Beat until pale yellow and then beat in the powdered sugar until well combined.

Add the flour and mix until just combined. The dough will appear crumbly, but stays together if your squeeze it into a ball.

Flour your surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough to 1/4” thick and cut into circles.

Place the circles on the lined cookie tray. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the cookies just begin to brown.

Let cool completely on a wire rack before dipping.

Melt the peanut butter chips and 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a double boiler. Dip part of each cookie into the mixture and place on a wire rack. Refrigerate the wire rack and cookies to speed up the hardening process.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips with the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil. Dip the cookies and allow to harden on a wire rack.

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I come from a family of sweet tooth-s; everyone takes “small slivers” of each dessert and there are always plenty of cookies, pies, cakes, and puddings at family gatherings. My grandpa keeps a stock of sweets like Honey Buns and a full cookie jar. Since he moved into a new place, I wanted to make sure he had some sweet treats to keep him full.

While perusing Cookie Princess’s blog Secrets from the Cookie Princess for this month’s Secret Recipe Club, I looked for a recipe that would be “grandfather” friendly! A recipe with oatmeal, carrots, and cranberries just scream grandparents, but trust me, people all ages will enjoy these cookies. I added chocolates because, why not! With the applesauce, carrots, and oatmeal, it almost feels like you could justify eating these cookies for breakfast. Do it! That’s my favorite part of the holiday season, eating cookies every day for breakfast; at least these are healthier!

I still haven’t finalized my holiday baking list, there are too many ideas and recipes with too little time. Now that I’m done with grad school for the semester, I can have all fun! These cookies are all the fun too! They are super moist from the applesauce and tender from the oatmeal and carrots. The cranberries and chocolate chips add texture, flavor, and interest. Finally, the cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg add the best of flavors. It’s time to make cookies!

Cream together the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the egg, applesauce, and vanilla and beat until well combined. Scrape the bowl as needed.

Add in the baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until well incorporated. Add the flours and mix until barely combined. Mix in the oats, carrots, cranberries, and chocolate chips until just mixed.

Stir with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is well incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 ˚F and line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Use a two-tablespoon scoop to portion the dough on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 15 minutes or until just set.

Move to a wire rack to cool completely.

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In no particular order here are some things that happened to me this week. I was trapped in my bedroom and and couldn’t get my bedroom door open. After unscrewing my doorknob and prying off one hinge I was still stuck, sweating profusely despite the chilly temperature, and was crying on my bedroom floor because I was getting panicky. Did I mention that this was all happening at 6:30 a.m.? I finally texted my landlords and after several keys and brute strength, they broke open the door for me. Luckily I was only a little late for work and no longer have a doorknob on bedroom door.

I met Bill Nye the Science Guy! He is incredibly bright, thoughtful, and funny. As soon as grad school work dies down, I can’t wait to read his newest book, which I have autographed! There are few things better than geeking out with science teachers.

Both of my grad classes have term paper rough drafts this due at the beginning of the week and because of my busy schedule, high sleep needs, and procrastination, I was down to the wire with due dates. Sunday I made myself a nice schedule to write my paper and was completing my midday activity of writing a paper at Panera when I went to insert a photo and Word shut down. Oh no. AutoRecovery saved me, but then that shut down and wouldn’t come back. Cue panic. Three hours of work, good writing I might add, gone. GONE! Naturally I caps-locked-yelled at Lynn and started crying in the middle of Panera. What’s a girl to do?

One word – cookies. Two words – easy cookies. Peanut butter, an egg, some sugar, and a few little extras. Mix it together and bake, boom cookies. Adding mini chocolate chips is a delightful addition and I can’t believe I’ve never added chocolate chips to peanut butter cookies before. Whether you’re having a great week and meeting Bill Nye or crying on your bedroom floor, these are an easy cookie to make you feel better. And thankfully, I found my lost paper!

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It’s 10 p.m. Sunday night and I’m laying in my bed writing this post. I think I write 80% of my posts from bed, so this is not unusual. What is unusual is the fact that I’m still in my pajamas, the pajamas I wore last night! That’s right, I have not left my apartment today, I haven’t even unlocked the deadbolt. Needless to say, I had little motivation to put on clean clothes, especially since I’m dropping off my laundry tomorrow.

Since I feel overwhelmed with work and grad school and some semblance of a social life, I have been considering hiring a housekeeper. Nothing major, such someone to come once awhile to do the big cleaning jobs that I lack the motivation and time to complete like cleaning my filthy blinds and dusting behind the furniture. However, that seems like an over-privileged thing to do, I should be able to clean up after myself properly. So I compromised my time and decided to pay for drop-off laundry service, it’s a lovely decadence! I pack all of my dirty towels, clothes, and sheets in a bag, drop it off before work, and it is perfectly folded for me to take home by the time work is done. #SweetLife

It sounds lazy, but I’m seriously exhausted. Usually summer is a period of relaxation, but summer 2014 felt like a never ending roller-coaster of travel, school, work, and emotion. I’m not complaining and do not regret a thing, it’s just that I’m slamming into fall like a it’s a brick wall and I’m really feeling the effects. I was not unproductive today; I made and canned tomato soup & tomatillo salsa, reorganized the kitchen, read a book, talked to my mom, and made a healthy dinner, I just didn’t leave the house. It sounds lazy, but they day went by so fast, I need more hours! There is always grad work to do…

Anyway, I made these cookies on a day I not only left the house, but I drove across the great state of Michigan! On my journey I stopped and spend the night with Stacey to check out her new house. It’s a perfect single lady house and I wanted to bring her something. Enter these cookies – chocolate and coffee are two of Stacey’s favorite things, so why not combine them! The cookies are easy, tasty, and more delicate than the cookies I usually bake. These are a perfect afternoon pick-me-up: sugar, caffeine, and chocolate – delightful!